Button-threading machine



27 SEWING MACHINES.

Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,070

-STERN- BUTTON THREADING MACHINE Filed Oct. 31 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 x' l l 1 l' m x l Aug. 25, 192.5.l

J. STERN BUTTON THREADING MAC INE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 s l V. .H\, u 2 L w NN @M Q 9 lllllll n l l, w Q, n N A n.. bl, a m w n d m uw N.Ud.Ll F l \Q w 1122, www@ MACHHW@ Aug. 25, 192,5. 1,551,070

J. STERN BUTTON THREADI NG MACHINE Filed oct. s1 1919 5 sheets-sheet a'I IMU Y mlm @www

Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,076

. J STERN BUTTON THREADING MACHINE Filed Oct. 53. 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I so I .da 40 I l? wbr/mman: d 53:14u@ wlfo' wmf/47m. l wg M S MOT/14013 u2, www@ MAQBXNES Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,070

J. STERN BUTTON THREADING MACHINE Filed ocr. s1 1919 5 sheetssheet s j @uji/bum@ i D @y wlfoz 5 dmdww.

i12, SWWTNG MAUTNF Patented Aug. 425;, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN STERN, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'IO BENJAMIN STERN, 0F

l NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUTTON-THREADING MACHINE.

Application filed October 31, 1919. Serial No. 334,747.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN STERN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button- Threading Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a. machine for threading a flexible piece of material through one or more eyes of a button, or similarly apertured object, and the invention specifically relates to a machine for forming an article of manufacture known in the ready-made garment trade as a taped button.

1n the manufacture of certain articles of apparel, such as childrens underwaists, it is usual to connect the different buttons to the garment by means of a short length of tape threaded through the two eyes of the button and to sew the loose ends of the tape to the garment. These buttons with the tape threaded therethrough are sold on the marhet ready to be attached by the manufacturer of the garment. Heretofore these but tons have been threaded manually with short lengths of tape which manual operation was not only cumbersome and necessarily expensive, but also required a cautious centering of the tape in the button to give the desired equal lengths of free ends to the tape. Under some conditions the trade desires the disposition of the tape so that one of the free ends will be slightly longer than the other end and this, of course, added materially to the cost of production when the threading and adjusting of the tape in the button was performed manually.

Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide a simple form of machine for performing the threading operation mechanically, accurately, rapidly and economically.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for insuring a uniformity of production and in which the produced articles have their tape lengths positioned uniformly in all of the buttons without twist or other irregularities.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the type outlined which will be automatic in its action and require no other attention on the part of the perator, except that necessary to see that the machine is kept supplied with tape and buttons.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

n Referring to the accompanying drawings f Figure 1 is a plan view looking down upon a preferred embodiment of the invention and showing in position thereon a spool of tape in dotted outline;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 looking at the same in the direction indicated by the arrow numbered 2;

Figure 3 is a left end elevational view of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2, look-` ing at the same from the left hand side of the machine and from the position indicated by the arrow numbered 3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4L is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 1e-4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow;

Figure 5 is a similarI view taken on the lines :5*5 of Figures 1 and 7 Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the device illustrating part of the tape path taken approximately on the line 6 6 of Figure 2 and showing the tape drawing carriage in the act of picking up the tape end;

Figure 6a is a detail View of one end of the tape drawing carriage;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the tape advanced across the button path and in the act of being severed;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 3 and showing the taped button just prior to its removal from the elevator mechanism;

Figure 9 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of the tape clutch;

Figure 1() is an enlarged detailed perspective view of part of the elevator; and

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view of the taped button constituting the article of manufacture produced by the machine.

In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience of expression but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

In the drawings there is shown a pair of spaced apart upstanding needles 12 which are fixed to the bed plate 13 of the machine and are disposed at the intersection of a button path formed by buttons 14: dropping from a button reservoir 15, and a tape-path formed by a taped strip 16 fed from a tape spool 17 mounted in bearings 18 at one side of the machine, as shown in Figure 1.

The tape path is formed in part by training the tape strip 16 about a pair of offset rollers 19 and 20 and through and between the spring jaws of a holding clip 21 positioned in advance of and aligned with the needles 12.

The tape is advanced from the holding clip 21 across the button path and is threaded through the eyes 22 of the needles 12 by means of a` reciprocating tape drawing carriage 23 slidably mounted in guideways 24 carried by the bed plate 13. The carriage is provided with a forwardly extending overhanging L-plate 25 (see Figure 9), an upstanding flange 26 of which is designed when the carriage is in its most advanced position as shown in Figurel 6 to pass to one side of the projecting end 27 of the tape strip held by the clip- 21. The plate 25 carries a plate clutching dog 28 adapted to engage the side of the tape opposite the flange wall 26. A spring 29 acts normally on the dog to bind the tape against the guide wall 26, so that in the left-to-right movement of the carriage, the tape strip will be drawn from the position shown in Figure 6 into the position shown in Figure 7. The movement of the carriage into its extreme left limit of movement brings the dog into contact with a iixed stop 30 which acts on the dog to move the same into an open position against the closing action of the spring 29 to permit the tape to pass between the dog and the adjacent guide wall.

Similarly at the limit of movement of the carriage to the riO'ht, the dog comes into contact with a similar stop 31 which releases the tape and permits the same to be discharged with the button as hereinafter described.

The needles are of a downwardly open eyed type, the eye 22 of eaclr, as shown more particularly in Figure 5, being simply the upper end of the very fine wire forming the needle bent back parallel upon itself. The eyes thus formed are disposed parallel to each other and extend transversely across the tape path so that when the tape is drawn across the needles by the action of the carriage hereinbefore described, the tape will be in position so as to be elevated into the two eyes as will be seen from' the disposition of the parts shown in Figure 5.

After the tape has been advanced for the distance regulated by the carriage travel, a definite length of tape is cut from the strip and for this purpose a` rotary cutter 33 is provided. The cutter is positioned on a shaft having a fixed axis of rotation and is driven from. a belt 34 connected to some suitable source of power (not shown). The cutting edge 35 of the rotary cutter is positioned offset slightly from the path of movement of the tape; is disposed between the clip 21 and the button path and is spaced from the needles a distance equal to one of the desired lengths 36 of the tape strips when it projects from the finished taped button, as shown in Figure 11.

The tape is moved into engagement with the cutting edge of the rotary cutter' by means of a bifurcated finger 38 projecting forwardly from an ejector carriage 39 mounted in guideways 410 and having a reciprocatory movement transversely of the direction of the tape path in its movement across the button path, as shown more particularly in Figure 1. The actuation of the carriage 39 is timed to bring the linger 38 into pressing engagement with the tape following the movement of the tape drawing carriage into its extreme position to the right of the machine as shown in Figure 7. The ejector carriage also carries at its forward end, a button ejector L10 for removing the taped buttons from the machine as hereinafter described. The carriage is drawn forwardly towards the tape path by means of a spring 41 (see Figure 2), the tension on which is adjustable by means of the set screw 4t2 so as to control the movement of the finger 38 into engagement with the tape. The carriage is held in an inoperative position by means of a retractile spring 13 one end of which is connected to the carriage and the other end of which is connected to a cam controlled lever 44. The reservoir 15 is of a conventional, cylindrical form, provided at its upper end with an opening for receiving the buttons. The buttons, as illustrated, are of the two eye type and are positioned in the reservoir so that the eye 45 of the buttons will be fed onto the upstanding needles 12 as hereinafter described. In order to maintain the buttons in the stack arranged with their eyes in alignment the buttons are threaded onto a pair of guiding wires 46 carried by and depending from a cap 47, which may additionally be utilized to close the top of the reservoir.

By this construction the buttons as they are dropped from the reservoir are caused to move directly onto the upstanding needles.

Thev stack of buttons in the reservoir is ne, surmise MAcniN'e-e held in position by a pair of pivoted stop dogs 48, shown more particularly in Figure 8, the upper stopping ends of which are loosely coupled together and held in the button path by means of a weak spring 49. rlhe dogs 48 are moved into an open position by means of an elevator 50, shown more particularly in Figure 10, and which includes a pair of spring jaws 51 designed to engage the underside of each of the dogs 48 to move the same into open position and to receive the lowermost button 52 of the stack as shown in Figure 5. rIhe buttons are fed from the reservoir to the elevator one at a time, each time the elevator is raised.

A finger is pivotally mounted on the frame 54 which carries the reservoir and is provided with a pointed end 55 positioned to enter the reservoir from the side thereof and to engage the next to the last button as the lowermost button 52 is lowered from the stack by the elevator. The finger' 53 is moved into inoperative position with the end 55 out of the reservoir by the approach of the elevator into its raised button-receiving position. For this purpose the elevator is provided with an upstanding trip 56 adapted to engage a projecting lug 57 on the finger 53. A weak spring 58 acts normally on the finger to maintain the end 55 of the same in engagement with the bottom of the stack and to delay the fall of the buttons until the stop dogs 48 have had an opportunity to move into their stack stopping position shown in Figure 8.

The elevator is attached to an elevator rod 59 guided for vertical movement in the bed plate 13 and in a collar 60 constituting part of the frame 54 as shown in Figure 2. The rod is reciprocated vertically by means of a cam controlled lever 61 and is normally maintained in lowered position and in engagement with the cam mechanism, hereinafter described by means of a spring 62 engaging the lever as shown in Figure 2.`

The elevator is provided with a pair of parallel slots 63 arranged relative to the needles and to the eyes in the buttons carried between the jaws 51, so that the elevator can pass down and between the needles, causing the needles in effect, to pass up through the eyes of the button as the button is moved into its lowermost position as shown inv Figure 2.

The button controlling elevator, the tapecutting and button ejecting carriage, the tape-drawing-carriage are all actuated in their proper timed sequence to effect their desired operation by means of an organization of power driven cams shown more particularly in Figures 1 and 4. The organization includes a power driven cam shaft 65 actuated through a bevelled gear-drive 66 from a main power shaft 67. The organization includes a lower peripheral cam 68 which is engaged by a short arm of a lever 69, the other arm of which is pivotally connected to the tape drawing carriage. The cam has a single recess 70 designed to provide a quick movement of the carriage back and forth across the button path in its movement to pick up the tape end, and the cylindrical portion of the cam periphery provides a long dwell of the carriage in its right-hand position shown in Figure 7 while the succeeding threading and tape cutting operations take place.

A second cam 71 is ailixed to the lowermost cam 69 by means of setI screws 72. This second cam is likewise of the peripheral type and controls the bell-crank lever 44 so that, when the roller 73 on the short arm of the lever 44 is in the recessed portion 74 of the cam, tension is released on the spring 43 so as to permit the spring 41 to act upon the ejector carriage and move the same into position to permit the cutter to sever the tape and then, to further advance the carriage so as to cause the ejector 40 to ride over the taped buttons with the elevatorin the raised position shown in Figure 8 prior to withdrawing the button from the jaws 51. It will be understood that the movement of the roller 73 onto the circular part of the cam will place tension on the spring 43 suflicient to overcome the resistance of the spring 41 thus permitting the retreat of the carriage and the forcing of the buttons off the elevator and into the button chute 75 extending downwardly through the bed plate 13 as shown in Figure 5. The cam 71 can be adjusted relative to the cam 68 by loosening the screws 72 and rotating the cam 71 about its axis, which action is permitted by a slotted construction of the cam plate 71 as shown in Figure 1.

The elevator lever 61 is controlled by a crown cam 76 on which rides a roller 77 carried by the lever 61. This crown cam is also adjustable relative to the cam 71 by means of the screw and slot connection 78 shown in Figure 1.

In operation and assuming that the machine is set with the tape trained about the guide rollers 19, 20 and advanced t0 the holding clip 21, with the reservoir stacked and with the cams in proper co-relation the device is actuated by supplying rotary power to the main drive shaft. The first action let it be assumed, is a raising of the elevator into position to grasp the lowermost button from the stack, as shown in Figure 5, and to lower the same onto the needles and into the position shown in Figure 2. The tape-advancing carriage is then shot across and over the depressed button, picks up the end of the tape as shown in Figure 6 and advances the same across the button and below the opened end of the needle and into the position shown in Figure 7. The elevator with the buttons thereon, then starts to rise and about this time the finger 38 is advanced to permit the cutter to sever the tape as shown in Figure 7. The elevator continues to rise and lifts the button off the needle and into the elevated position shown in Figure S. During this operation tlie tape length which has been held by the needles is forced through the eyes of the button as the button is withdrawn, thus threading the button and producing the article shown in Figure 11. rlhe final movement of the ejector carriage into its normal position is to cause the ejector 40 to forcefully pull the taped button away from the holding ljaws and permit the same to fall down and from the machine through the chute 75. This completes the cycle of operation of the machine and leaves the same in condition for the next succeeding repetition of this cycle of operation. v

lVhile I hav-e shown and described, and have pointed out in the annexed claims, certain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a button threading machine, the combination of a threading needle mounted l in an upstanding fixed position, means for feeding eyed buttons to be threaded to said needle, one at a time with the needle positioned in the eye of the button, means for threading the needle with a length of tape and means for elevating the buttons while on the needle thereby to cause relative movement between the threaded needle and the button and cause the needle to draw the tape through the eye of the button thereby to thread the button with the length of tape.

2. In a button threading machine, the combination of a threading needle, means for feeding eyed buttons one at a time onto said needle, means for threading the needle with a length of tape, means for causing relative movement between the threaded needle and the button to cause the needle to draw the tape through the -eye of the button thereby to thread the button with the length of tape, means for cutting the tape, and means for removing the taped button from the machine.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of means for supplying tape, means for supplying eyed buttons, a but ton threading device for receiving the buttons one at a time from said button supply and for guiding the same on to said threading device, means for drawing a limited length of tape from said tape supply into said threading device, means for severing the tape length from the supply, said device provided with means for passing the length of tape through the eye of the button and means for removing the buttons as they are taped.

Il. In a device of the class described, the combination with a source of tape and a button feeding device providing a button path, of means for advancing the tape along a tape path from the source to the button feeding device and across said button path, said means including a holding clip disposed adjacent and inadvance of the device, a tape drawing carriage mounted to reciprocate back and forth from said clip across said button path, said carriage provided with a tape clutch adapted to engage an end of the tape held by the clip and to draw the tape across the button path as the carriage is advanced, in its direction of movement away from the holding clip.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a source of tape and a button feeding device providing a button path, of means for advancing the tape along a tape path from the source to the button feeding device and across said button path, said means including a holding clip disposed adjacent and in advance of the device, a tape -drawing carriage mounted to reciprocate back and forth from said clip across said button path, said carriage provided with a tape clutch adapted to engage an end of the tape held by the clip and to draw the tape across the button path as the carriage is advanced in its direction of movement away from the holding clip and means controlled by the carriage for causing the clutch to release its hold on the tape.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a source of tape and a button feeding device providing a button path, of means for advancing the tape along a tape path from the source to the button feeding device and across said button path, said means including a tape drawing carriage mounted to reciprocate back and forth across said button path, said carriage provided with a tape clutch adaptedv to engage an end of the tape and to draw the tape across the button path as the carriage is advanced in its direction of movement away from the holding clip, and means timed to sever the tape between the carriage and source after the carriage has passed beyond the button path.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a source of tape and a button feeding device providing a button path, of means for advancing the tap-e along a tape path from the source to the butto-n feeding device and across said button path, said means including a holding clip disne. sawme tract-nietes posed adjacent and in advance of the device, a tape drawing carriage mounted to reciprocate back and forth from said clip across said button path, said carriage provided with a tape clutch adapted to engage van end of the tape held by the clip and to said means including a tape drawing carria-ge mounted to reciprocate back and forth across said button path, said carriage provided with a tape clutch adapted to engage an end of the tape and to draw the tape across the button path as the carriage is advanced in its direction of movement away from the holding clip, means timed to sever the tape between the carriage and source after the carriage has passed beyond the button path and a control for actuating the carriage and the tape severing means in proper sequence to advance the tape and then cut oif a piece thereof from the source.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a button threading device including threading needles, means for feeding eyed buttons to said needles, of a tape advancing carriage mounted for reciprocatory movement in operative relation to said device to supply the needles with tape vfor threading the buttons carried by the needles, said carriage provided with a tape guiding wall adapted to receive an end of the tape as the carriage is advanced thereto in one direction, a spring pressed dog carried by the carriage, adapted to engage the tape end to force the same into engagement with said wall to hold the same as the carriage advances in the opposite direction, said carriage in its movement in said opposite direction acting on the tape to draw the same into engagement with the side of said hooked needle and into position to be engaged by the hook of the needle.

lO. In a device for threading buttons on a length of tape, the combination with a button threading device including threading needles, means for feeding eyed buttons to said needles, of a tap-e advancing carriage mounted for reciprocatory movement in operative relation to said device to supply the needles with tape for threading the buttons carried by the needles, said carriage provided with a tape guiding wall adapted to receive an end of the tape as the carriage is advanced thereto in one direction, a spring pressed dog carried by the carriage,

adapted to engage the tape end to force the same into engagement with said wall to hold the same as the carriage advances in the opposite direction and a dog trip disposed in the path of movement of the dog for moving the same into an unclutch-ed position spaced from the guide wall thereby to permit the tape to pass between the dog and the wall.

ll. In a device for threading buttons on a length of tape, the combination with a button threading device including threading needles, means for feeding eyed buttons to said needles, of a tape advancing carriage mounted for reciprocatory movement in operative relation to said device to supply the needles with tape for threading the but tons carried by the needles, said carriage pro vided with a tape guiding wall constituting part of a clutching device adapted to receive an end of the tape as the carriage is advanced thereto in one direction, a spring operatively connected to the clutching device to cause the device to grip the tape when the carriage is moving in one of its reciprocatory directions and to draw the same as the carriage advances in the opposite direction and means operatively connected to the clutching device normally to hold the same in unclutched position and to permitJ the tape to be withdrawn therefrom.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with means for directing a button along a button path, of means for engaging an end of a tape strip and for advancing the rtape strip for a limited distance along a tape path and across the button path, a rotary cutter having its cutting edge spaced from the tape path and means movable transversely across said tape path for engaging the tape and advancing the same laterally into engagement with the cutter whereby a length of tape is severed from the strip.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with means for directing a but-- ton along a button path, of means for engaging an end of a tape strip and for advancing the tape strip for a limited distance along a tape path and across the button palth,

las

a rotary cutter having its cutting edge,A

spaced from the tape path, means movable transversely across said tape path for engaging the tape and advancing the same laterally into engagement with the cutter whereby a length of tape is severed from the strip, and control means connected to said tape advancing means and to said laterally movable means to time the severing of the tape strip when the advancing means has drawn the requisite length of tape past the cutter.

14. In a device of the class described, the combination with guiding means for directing a button along a button path, of a carria e for advancing a tape strip for a limite distance along a tape path and across the button path, means for threading the tape into the button at the juncture of the button path and the tape path, cutting mechanism offset laterally from the tape path and disposed in advance of the button path, a presser nger mounted for reciprocatory movement transversely of the tape path and adapted to engage the tape and press the same into cutting engagement with the cutting mechanism thereby to sever the tape strip.

l5. In a device of the class described, the combination with guiding means for directing a button along a button path, of a carriage for advancing a tape strip for a limited distance along a tape path and across the button path, cutting mechanism oifset laterally from the tape parth and disposed in advance of the button path, a presser finger mounted for reciprocatory movement transversely of the tape path and adapted to engage fthe tape and press the same into cutting engagement with the cutting mechanism thereby to sever the tape strip, means for driving the cutting mechanism continuously and means for reciprocating the carriage and presser finger.

16. In a device of the class described, the combination with means for directing a button along a button path, of a carriage for advancing a tape strip for a limited distance along a tape path and across the button path, cutting mechanism offset laterally from the tape path and disposed in advance of the button path, a presser ringer mounted for reciprocatory movement transversely of the tape path and adapted to engage the tape and press the same into cutting engagement with the cutting mechanism, means for driving the cutting mechanism continuously and means for reciprocating the carriage and presser finger, said last named means being operatively connected to delay the operation of the presser linger until the carriage has advanced the tape across the button path.

17. In a device of the class described, the combination with a needle, means for advancing a 'tape along a tape path and for threading the needle with the tape, of a button reservoir adapted to contain buttons to be fed to the vtape, means for feeding the buttons Jone at a time from said reservoir, for positioning the same on the needle and for elevating the same while on the needle past the tape path while the needle threads the button with fthe tape.

18. In a device of the class described, the combination with a needle, means for advancing a tape along a tape path and for threading the needle with the tape, of a button reservoir adapted to contain buttons to be fed to the tape, means for feeding the buttons one at a time from said reservoir, for positioning the same on the needle and for moving the same while on the needle past the tape path while the needle threads the button with the tape and means for engaging the taped button to remove the same from said last named means.

19. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of upstanding needles, a button reservoir adapted to contain buttons having two sewing eyes therethrough and means for positioning the buttons with their eyes in alignment with said needles, of means for positioning the aligned buttons on said needles.

20. In a device oli' the class described, the combination with a pair of upstanding needles provided with downwardly open eyes, a button reservoir adapted to contain a stack of buttons having two sewing eyes therethrough, means for positioning the button with their eyes in alignment with said needles, of means for positioning the same -on said needles and means for advancing a tape through said needle eyes in position to be threaded thro-ugh said button when the button is raised on the needles.

2l. In a device of the class described, the combinationwith a pair of upstanding needles provided with downwardly open eyes, a button reservoir adapted to' contain a. stack of buttons having two sewing eyes therethrough, means for positioning the buttons with their eyes in alignment with said needles, an elevator for releasing the buttons one at a time from said aligning means and for positioning the same on said needles and means for advancing a tape thro-ugh said needle eyes in position to be threaded through said button when the button is raised on the needles, said elevator in its upward movement raising said button on the needles toforce the button past the tape thus causing the yneedles to draw the tape through the eyes of the button.

22. In a device of the class described, the combination of an upstanding needle having an eye adjacent its upper end, or a button elevator provided with means for receiving a button with an eye and for threading the butto-n on the needle, means for threading a tape strip through the eye of the needle above the button and means for raising the button elevator with the button on the needle past the tape whereby a length of tape is drawn through the eye of the button.

23. In a device of the class described, the combination of an upstanding needle having an eye adjacent its upper end, of a butto-n elevator provided with means for receiving a button with an eye and for threading the button on the needle, means for threading a tape strip through the eye of the needle above the button, means Jfor severingthe tape thereby to form a tape length, and

llQ, SEI'V'ING li/ICIFIINEFE.

means for raising the button elevator with the button on the needle past the tape whereby a length of tape is drawn through the eye of the button.

24. In a device of the class described, the combination of an upstanding needle having an eye adjacent its upper end, of a but-ton elevator provided with means for receiving a button with an eye and for threading the button on the needle, means for threading a. tape strip through the eye of the needle above the button, means for raising the button elevator with the button on the needle past the tape whereby a length of tape is drawn through the eye of the button and means for removing the tape-d button ,troni` the button receiving means on the elevator.

25. In a device of the class described, the combination ot an upstanding needle fixed in position and having a downwardly opened eye and adapted to have a button threaded thereon, means for advancing a tape transversely of the needle through said eye whereby the elevating of the button past the tape and off the needle will cause the tape to be drawn through the eye ot' the button.

26. In a device of the class described, the combination of an upstanding needle having a downwardly opened eye and means tor feeding a button so as to have the button threaded thereon, means for advancing a tape transversely of the needle through said eye, means engaging the b-utton for elevating the same off the needle, whereby the elevating of the button past the tape and oli the needle will cause the tape to be drawn through the eye of the button, and means for discharging the taped button from said elevating means.

27. In a device of the class described, the combination of an upstanding needle having a downwardlv opened eye and adapted to have a button threaded thereon, means for advancing a tape transversely of the needle through said eye, button clutching mea-ns engaging the button for elevating the same oliv1 the needle, whereby the elevating of the button past the tape and oli the needle will cause the tape to be drawn through the eye of the button and a control for said last named means timed to cause the button to be elevated following the actuation of the tape advancing means, and means timed to follow the actuation of the elevating means.

28. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of upstanding needles provided with eyes adapted to have a tape threaded therethrough, of a reservoir for a supply of buttons having two eyes and adapted to be fed from the stack to said needles one at a time, guiding means :tor insuring the feeding of the buttons from the stack with the eyes in position to have the needles positioned in the eyes as the buttons are positioned on the needles.

29. In a device oli' the class described, the combination with a pair of upstanding needles provided with eyes adapted to have a tape threaded therethrough, of a reservoir for a stack ot buttons having two eyes and adapted to be fed from the stack to said needles one at a time, guiding means for insuring the feeding of the buttons from the stack with the eyes in position to have the needles positioned in the eyes as the but-tons are positioned on the needles, and a stop for engaging the bottom of the button stack for causing the release of the lowermost button from the stack while holding the remaining buttons in the reservoir.

30. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of upstanding needles provided with eyes adapted to have a tape threaded therethrough, of a reservoir tor a stack of buttons having two eyes and adapted to be fed from the stack to said needles one at a time, guiding means for insuring the feeding of the buttons therefrom with the eyes in position to have the needles positioned in the eyes as the buttons are positioned on the needles, an elevator for receiving the buttons released from the reservoir and for reciprocating the same down on and then up olf the needles and means for threading the needles while the button is in a position thereon below the needle eyes.

8l. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of upstanding needles provided with eyes adapted to have a tape threaded therethrough, of a reservoir for a stack of buttons having two eyes and adapted to be fed from the stack to said needles one at a time, guiding means for insuring 'the feeding of the buttons therefrom with the eyes in position to have the needles positioned in the eyes as the buttons are positioned on the needles, an elevator for v receiving the buttons released from the reservoir and for reciprocating the same down on and `then up off the needles, means for threading the needles while the button is in a position thereon below the needle eyes, and means controlled by the arrival of said elevator in a preset posit-ion for regulating the release of the buttons from the reservoir.

32. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair oi upstanding needles, each provided with an eye adjacent its upper end, of means for feeding a plurality of two-eyed buttons, one at a time to said needles to cause the buttons to pass into a lowered position with the needles eXtending through the eyes of the buttons,means for threading the eyes of the needles with alength of tape while the button is in its y low/ered position Whereby when the button is lifted off the needles it will cause the needles to thread the tape through the eyes V l standing button threading needle positioned to receive the eyes of the buttons as they are fed thereto and means for feeding the buttons one et e time from said stack onto said needle.

34. In e device of lthe class described, the combination of an open bottom button reser- Voir for a stack of eyed-buttons, an upstanding button threading needle positioned to receive the eyes of the buttons as they are fed lthereto and means for feeding the buttons one at :i time from said stack onto said needle and for moving the buttons through a threading operation und for lifting the threaded buttons off the needle prior to the feeding of the next succeeding button 'from the reservoir. i

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New7 York this 29th dey of October, A. D- `l919.

JOHN STERN. 

